egg sitting question

[emilysteng]

Hi everyone,

My semi-wild hen friend, Casino, laid three eggs and has started sitting on them. I know they generally get up once a day to eat/drink/poop. Is it possible that they don't get up at all? I mean, they have to at least once right? The reason I ask is I don't see her get up at all. Is there a certain time they usually get up or is it always different? Cause we will be around all day - 7 or 8 am till 4 or 5 pm and not see her get up. I guess she could do it before or after that. She laid the first two about 10 days ago and didn't lay another one till Monday. She started sitting on the two eggs for just an hour or two a day, then on the three eggs a couple hours, then wednesday and thursday, didn't see her get up at all. I know wild chickens act a little differently from other chickens, but curious what people thought.

Her current nest of choice is a dirty old cardboard box with some pot covers in them. I put some moss in there when she acted like she was going to lay some eggs, but didn't. But then when she really did lay her eggs she decided that old box would be a good choice! She is quite defensive, will peck me if I try to touch her. I have always tried to take her eggs in the past, but have decided to let her try this time. I'm just not certain they are fertile. Her last boyfriend hasn't been around, though I did see her with another chicken a few times. He seemed a little young for her though!

 

[Mahonri]

I'd throw at least three or four known fertile eggs under her... Looks like she'll be a great mamma.

 

[emilysteng]

I've been hesitant to let her hatch eggs because she is semi-wild and runs totally free, and the totally wild chickens (who run away from us) we see around usually start with 8 or 10 chicks after a few weeks we see them end up with 3, 2, 1 or none.

Makes me sad. I don't want to see chicks get lost. And with only three eggs, the odds aren't that good. I don't have any known fertile eggs. She's my only hen friend who is laying. Our new hen friend is still young and not laying yet.

 

[emilysteng]

Well, when I went up this morning - around 8 AM - Casino was out and about - drinking water from our plant leaves. She ate, drank, took a dust bath, preened, and then ran back to her nest. She was probably out for a good hour/hour and half. Maybe she always comes out early or something. Her nest is at the top level of our nursery, but when she came out she was down on the next level. Still 3 eggs only. She's serious about sitting on those three!!